diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index b9bd1be..cf2187d 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -19,9 +19,12 @@ import './styles/variables.css'
 import './styles/global.css'
 
 export function App() {
-  const [isDarkMode, setIsDarkMode] = useState(
-    () => window.localStorage.getItem('theme') === 'dark',
-  )
+  // A stored choice wins; on the first visit the system setting decides.
+  const [isDarkMode, setIsDarkMode] = useState(() => {
+    const stored = window.localStorage.getItem('theme')
+    if (stored) return stored === 'dark'
+    return !!window.matchMedia?.('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches
+  })
 
   useEffect(() => {
     document.documentElement.dataset.theme = isDarkMode ? 'dark' : 'light'
diff --git a/src/tests/App.test.tsx b/src/tests/App.test.tsx
index cd9fbd2..c413e33 100644
--- a/src/tests/App.test.tsx
+++ b/src/tests/App.test.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import { ApolloProvider } from '@apollo/client/react'
 import { cleanup, fireEvent, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react'
 import { BrowserRouter } from 'react-router-dom'
-import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { createTestClient, ok, type Handler } from '@/tests/apollo'
 import App from '@/App'
 
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 })
 
 afterEach(() => {
+  vi.unstubAllGlobals()
   delete document.documentElement.dataset.theme
   window.localStorage.clear()
   window.history.replaceState({}, '', import.meta.env.BASE_URL)
@@ -67,6 +68,20 @@ describe('App', () => {
     ).toBe('true')
   })
 
+  it('starts from the system colour scheme when no theme is stored, and a stored theme wins', () => {
+    const systemIsDark = (dark: boolean) =>
+      vi.stubGlobal('matchMedia', () => ({ matches: dark }))
+
+    systemIsDark(true)
+    renderApp()
+    expect(document.documentElement.getAttribute('data-theme')).toBe('dark')
+    cleanup()
+
+    window.localStorage.setItem('theme', 'light')
+    renderApp()
+    expect(document.documentElement.getAttribute('data-theme')).toBe('light')
+  })
+
   it('generates navigation URLs beneath the configured base path', () => {
     renderApp()